Harish Rao appears before SIT in phone tapping probe

Former Minister and Siddipet MLA, T. Harish Rao appeared before the Special Investigation Team on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, for questioning in connection with the phone tapping case. There was heavy police deployment in and around the office in Hyderabad when he arrived for investigation.

Mr. Rao arrived at Jubilee Hills Deputy Commissioner of Police (ACP) office around 11 am. Sources said the lawyers accompanying Mr. Rao were not allowed to enter the ACP office. The interrogation followed the summons issued by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which stated that the investigation showed that the MLA was aware of certain facts and circumstances connected to the case and warranted his investigation.

The Telangana Government recently constituted a 10-member Special Investigation Team headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar to expedite the investigation nearly 21 months after the case was registered. The case relates to allegations that phones were illegally seized through the Special Intelligence Branch to benefit the Bharat Rashtra Samithi.

The case came to light after the arrest of former SIB Deputy Superintendent of Police Praneeth Rao on March 13, 2024. Rao was detained from his home in Rajanna Sircilla area following a complaint from his superior, Additional Police Inspector D. Ramesh, accusing him of unauthorized interference in calls of many senior political leaders and government officials.